1 / 38

A Proposal to Enhance the Wisconsin Lutheran College Accounting Program

A Proposal to Enhance the Wisconsin Lutheran College Accounting Program. Isaac Hill David Parez. Current Status of Accounting Program. Accounting is a possible emphasis of the Business Administration Major. Students take at least 8 semesters to complete the emphasis.

zlhna
Download Presentation

A Proposal to Enhance the Wisconsin Lutheran College Accounting Program

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. A Proposal to Enhance the Wisconsin Lutheran College Accounting Program Isaac Hill David Parez

  2. Current Status of Accounting Program • Accounting is a possible emphasis of the Business Administration Major. • Students take at least 8 semesters to complete the emphasis. • Program employs one full-time professor, with several adjunct professors. • Program has been growing over the last few years.

  3. Our Basic Desires • Creation of an Accounting Major • Design a track to CPA exam requirements • Improve internship opportunities • Hire more adjunct professors • Move towards AACSB accreditation

  4. Creation of an Accounting Major • Design a track to CPA exam requirements • Improve internship opportunities • Hire more adjunct professors • Move towards AACSB accreditation

  5. Process of Creating an Accounting Major • Four major criteria go in to proposing a major: • Why is this major being proposed? • What is the level of student interest and probable demand in this major? • How common is this major at other colleges and universities? • How does this major adhere to Wisconsin Lutheran College’s academic goals?

  6. Why is it being proposed? • Advertising to future students to increase enrollment • Personalizing education toward accounting majors • Matching massive credit hours with title of degree • Improve resumes and job outlook post-graduation

  7. What is the level of interest or demand? • Advanced Accounting enrollment of 8-10 per semester • Intermediate Accounting (1 and 2) enrollment of 15-20 per semester • Demand of accounting jobs and empty positions

  8. How common is this major?

  9. How does this major adhere to college’s academic goals? • Assists students to spread Lutheran message • Encourages students to actively learn and pursue Truth • Enhancing learning opportunities by adding more academic material • Attracting prospective students • Fulfilling Vision 2020

  10. What classes would need to be added to the curriculum? • Information Systems classes • Classes addressing the use of common accounting software in the business field • Gives students hands-on experience with business software

  11. What are the implications of adding this major… …on the staff and students? • Additional staff would be required • Instructing new courses • Preparing for influx of students • Staffing distribution would not be harmed • Ideal class size already exists

  12. What are the implications of adding this major… …on the budget? • Minimal hiring of staff • Purchase of software for information systems

  13. Creation of an Accounting Major • Design a track to CPA exam requirements • Improve internship opportunities • Hire more adjunct professors • Move towards AACSB accreditation

  14. What is a CPA? • CPA stands for Certified Public Accountant • Acquired upon: • Passing a comprehensive exam • Attaining a certain amount of work hours • Benefits: • Ensures professional competence of an accountant • Provides recognition of credibility to accountant

  15. CPA Exam • Requirements: • 150 overall credits • 24 credits within accounting • 150 credits can be achieved through either undergraduate or post-graduate credits

  16. Track to the CPA Exam • Students can complete the accounting degree in 8 semesters, including a full-time internship • Two paths to 150 required credits: • Applying to post-graduate program • Completing all credits in undergrad

  17. Master’s Program • Students can enhance accounting education through achieving a Master’s • Master’s in Accounting • Master’s in Taxation • College can form relationships with local Master’s programs • UW-Whitewater • UW-Milwaukee • Marquette

  18. Undergraduate Track • In 5th year of studies, students can complete a minor or other business emphases: • Finance • Management • Marketing • A minor or any combination of two emphases would complete 150 credit requirement

  19. Wisconsin Lutheran College Accounting Path

  20. UW-Milwaukee’s Accounting Path

  21. Creation of an Accounting Major • Design a track to CPA exam requirements • Improve internship opportunities • Hire more adjunct professors • Move towards AACSB accreditation

  22. Current Direction of Internships • Professor Stelzer is currently working on attracting local firms • Target individual firm, rather than multiple • Achieve ongoing relationship with one or two firms • Bring in individual firms to meet on campus with prospective interns

  23. Issues Facing Accounting Internships • Accounting internships are harder to find than general business internships • Little rapport with local firms • Over 25 local accounting companies, ranging in size • Currently two interns at Baker Tilly • Difficult to draw attention from multiple firms • Size of student body • Age of program

  24. Future Direction of Internships • Continue to build rapport with Milwaukee firms • Attempt to host accounting firms on regular basis • Use professors’ histories at local companies • Professor Wagner at Deloitte • Professor Derouin at Baker Tilly

  25. Creation of an Accounting Major • Design a track to CPA exam requirements • Improve internship opportunities • Hire more adjunct professors • Move towards AACSB accreditation

  26. Adjunct Professors in theAccounting Program • Wisconsin Lutheran College employs 3 or 4 adjunct professors each semester • Benefits: • Monetarily efficient • Bring work experience to classroom

  27. Future of Adjunct Professors • Continue to utilize adjunct professors for the good of the school and the students • Diversify adjunct professors • Accounting firms • Small businesses • Tax services • Enhance breadth of experience

  28. Creation of an Accounting Major • Design a track to CPA exam requirements • Improve internship opportunities • Hire more adjunct professors • Move towards AACSB accreditation

  29. What is the AACSB? • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business • International organization founded with mission of accrediting business schools • Benchmark statistic of good business schools • Under 700 schools worldwide • Marquette and UWM are both accredited

  30. Accreditation Process • Institution must first be a memberof AACSB through an application process • Accreditation is achieved through subsequent application process • Adhere to AACSB standards • Approval by committee • Many categories of standards to be met

  31. Benefits of Accreditation • International recognition as a business school • Appeal to recruitment offices of major businesses • Only two schools in Milwaukee area with accreditation • Attract better students, professors, and opportunities

  32. Reality of Accreditation • AACSB accreditation is not a near-future goal • Difficult for small schools • Requires a lot of changes • Accreditation is a positive long-term goal • Focus on reaching the standards • Work with what we are blessed with

  33. Creation of an Accounting Major • Design a track to CPA exam requirements • Improve internship opportunities • Hire more adjunct professors • Move towards AACSB accreditation

  34. Conclusion • Pleased with the overall progress of accounting program • Proposal evidently shows areas of potential growth • Improving accounting program would ultimately improve Wisconsin Lutheran College

  35. Questions?

More Related